Etymologically
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viduus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪ.du.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.du.us][1]

Forms

viduus (feminine vidua, neuter viduum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wiþowo-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wi-dʰh₁-ew-o- (“separated”).[2][1] Latin and Greek have an adjective for both sexes, while most other languages have only a feminine noun “widow”.[2] Cognate with Sanskrit विधवा (vidhávā, “widow”), Old Irish fedb (“widow”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐍉 (widuwō, “widow”) and English widow.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.[2][4] In Plautus a man boasts that he never let his wife sleep alone.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant deprived of a husband or wife, and the feminine vidua was a woman who had lost her husband by death or divorce.[3] Horace uses it of trees that support no vine, and of unsupported vines.[3] More generally it meant bereft or devoid of something, and of a kingdom or a sceptre, without its ruler.[3]

In the Church a vidua could be a consecrated widow.[5] It survives in Italian vedovo, French veuf, Spanish viudo and Romanian văduv.[1] English widow is a native cognate, not a borrowing.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has Penelope “bereft of her husband”.[7][4]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace speaks of a vine led to unwedded trees.[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Without a husband or wife, widowed.[3]
  2. (feminine as noun) A widow.[3]
  3. (of trees) Not supporting a vine, (of a vine) unsupported.[3]
  4. Deprived, devoid (of).[3]
  5. Bereft of its owner or ruler.[3]
  • vidua
  • viduitās
  • viduō
  • dīvidō
  • English widow

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.